Zambia Hosts WHO Project Meeting on Strengthening Cervical Cancer Prevention Programmes in Six African Countries
21 October 2009 -- The final review meeting for the six African countries implementing the WHO demonstration project on strengthening cervical cancer prevention programmes opened in Lusaka on 20th October, 2009. This meeting has brought together more than forty participants from the participating countries which include Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The project under review was initiated with the goal to strengthen cervical cancer prevention programmes in the WHO African Region. The demonstration project was specifically intended to assess the acceptability and feasibility of implementing a cervical cancer prevention program based on a “see and treat approach" using the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) technique and treatment of precancerous lesions using cryotherapy in defined areas within the six countries. This project was implemented through collaborative efforts by WHO/HQ, Department of Reproductive Health and Department of Cancer Control, WHO Regional Office for Africa, Divisions of Reproductive Health and Non Communicable Diseases, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO Country Offices and Ministries of Health.